D.C. Police Detective Arressted for Propositioning a "Prostitute".

Some time clients call us up and ask if we can send them off-duty cops for Executive Protection assignments. My first inclination is to tell them why we are reluctant to use off-duty police.

Yesterday, WTOP radio reported that a Detective Wheeler from the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police had been arrested for trying to hire a Prostitute. Unfortunately for Detective Wheeler, the "prostitute" was an undercover Police Detective herself.

The story gets better, however. It seems that Detective Wheeler is assigned to the Vice Unit. For those of you who don't know what a Vice Unit does, they set up "stings" and dress female Police officers to look like prostitutes in order to arrest those who try and do business with "prostitutes". One wonders if Detective Wheeler should be charged with the prostituion charge or one involving gross stupidity.

Just becaause a Police officer carries a gun, does not mean that this qualifies him or her to do everything security related. While most of them are decent, hard working indivduals, there are also some who break laws and circumvent the system for their own benefit. When you hire an "off-duty cop", you do not know what you are getting. Perhaps you will get a bad apple(s) who will do more harm than good. Afterall, what way is there to vet them?

A professional security company like ours, train their own people and enforce from day one a strong sense of Ethics. We have a zero policy for any behaviour that might be detrimental to us or the client. On the rare occassion when someone does something that we do not condone, they are terminated. There is no room for Union intervention or "three strikes, you're out" or any other delaying tactic.

Our reputation is too important. Then again, we do not have "jobs for life" but must instead earn buisness by constantly performing. The next time you need a security person, keep this in mind.